Sorrow Lake

Murder is not unknown in Sorrow Lake, a small village in eastern Ontario – in a long-ago murder suicide, a man killed his wife and kids, and a couple were once murdered in a break-in. But the killers were quickly identified and these murders were easily solved. When the body of a man is found shot execution style in a farmer’s field and there is nothing pointing to the perpetrators, the local constabulary is ill-equipped to deal with it. The Ontario Provincial Police send in Detective Inspector Ellie March to lead the investigation. Detective Constable Kevin Walker is excited to work with her but, as their investigation digs deeper into this close-knit community, it becomes clear that this was not the crime of outsiders and, as they get closer to the solution, he is in danger of losing more than just his enthusiasm or his career.

Sorrow Lake by author Michael J. McCann is a well-plotted, well-written and intelligent police procedural. Rather than focus on all the more sensational aspects of the crime, instead it focuses on the investigation itself. Clues are collected, leads are followed, forensics is examined, and suspects are identified. All of this may sound boring but, in fact, it was fascinating – it was like getting a glimpse of real police work and it was great fun following March and Walker as they navigate through both the evidence and the politics of solving a murder.

This is a good start to a new series. Ellie March and Kevin Walker, both law enforcement in Ontario, come together to find the killer of a local businessman. A stash of drugs found in the dead man's business leads them into a complex web of crime and corruption that stuns the local cop, Kevin Walker. Ellie struggles with a painful and solitary personal life and Kevin tries to find his footing as a first-time lead on a homicide. The author's description of the technicalities of police and legal work is a bit dry but the characters and complex plot make up for it. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series and will look into his previously published works. A solid police procedural.

D.C. Kevin Walker of the Ontario Provincial Police is thrilled when he gets the chance to work with legendary D.I. Ellie March on a murder investigation. A man from small town Sorrow Lake has been shot dead, his body left in a field in Ohio. Ellie wants to solve this crime, but she’s working with a group of inexperienced detectives and it’s slowing her down. Still, she perseveres, trying to prise out secrets from under the ice. But the investigation will be jeopardized by betrayal amongst the ranks and may destroy a few careers in the mix.

I am thrilled that this is the beginning of a new series. McCann is a new author that I will now be following. And who doesn’t lave the name of that publisher?

Superb whodunnit holds the attention all the way,great atmosphere and splendidly written.Highly recommended.

Review: SORROW LAKE by Michael J. McCann (A March and Walker Crime Novel)

A really inventive and deeply-characterized mystery/police procedural with a finely-delineated background of rural Ontario, SORROW LAKE is the first of a series, which I can tell will be one of my favorites. The characters are peeled down to the grain, and it's wonderfully gratifying to read of individuals who might be our friends, our neighbors--or even ourselves.

Reading Sorrow Lake is like stepping into the midst of a homicide team at work. We have no vivid, gory scenes to make us cringe. The focus here is on the investigation, and McCann handles this with expertise. We follow along as evidence is collected, suspects are interviewed, and new leads are uncovered and followed. Throughout the story, we are completely immersed in the world of forensics and crime-solving.

This is one of the most detailed, well researched police procedural novels I've read. The story takes place in Canada. I'm in the US, and was fascinated to learn the differences and similarities in how our police forces work. McCann shows us the hierarchy and politics behind investigations, as well as how the various aspects of a team come together.

The minor drawback for me came in connecting to the characters. While each is unique and realistic, with his/her own qualities and flaws, I felt like I was standing on the outside watching, rather than being able to experience their emotions. This is likely due, at least in part, to there being a lot of characters in play. The focus is on two members, but we meet the entire investigative team. Since Sorrow Lake is the first in a series, it also acts as an introduction to the investigative team we'll be spending time with in the future.

McCann is a master at structuring an intricate plot and showing us what it's like to solve a homicide. I'm looking forward to more in this series.

This is the first Mike McCann novel I've read and I loved it! What immediately drew me in was the area in which it's set - Eastern Ontario near where we currently live and my husband grew up.

I can't wait to read more by this author.

"His breath visible in the early morning air, Detective Constable Kevin Walker made his was down the hill and across the farmer's field toward the body. There was a crust on the snow from freezing rai that had fallen tow days ago, and hos books punched crisp holes as he followed the footprints of the old man who'd spotted something in the middle of his field just after dawn and had come down to investigate." Thus starts Sorrow Lake by Michael McCann. Sorrow Lake has a reputation; there have been other deaths on this lake. In the sixties, there was a boating accident that killed a man and some kids. There was a murder-suicide where a man killed his wife, his five children and himself. Looters killed a couple, a man and wife. Thus giving the lake it's name, Sorrow Lake. An elderly man sees something out of his kitchen window and goes to investigate and sees a body lying in his field. The man is William (Bill) Hansen, and he was shot execution-style. Detective Inspector Ellie March of the Ontario Provincial Police has been called to help with the investigation in the man's death. Ellie has a complicated life, her children won't speak to her because she has always been involved in her work, so the children live with their father. We learn a bit about Ellie, but it is her skills as an investigator and not her private life that is important to the book. We do learn a little about her private life, and I feel that as the series goes along the reader will learn more about Ellie. Young and talented Detective Constable Kevin Walker feels that working with Ellie March is an honor as she does have a reputation as being an exceptional investigator. He is inexperienced but makes up for his lack of experience with his enthusiasm. I like his character; he is a likeable and honest cop. He is a bit naive, though, in that he shares and seeks answers from his mentor, Chuck Waddell, who was in the position that Kevin now holds, retired and now running a security firm. Can Chuck be trusted? There are also a lot of other characters that play pivotal roles in the investigation. Some that will surprise you. Just who was Bill Hansen, what was he involved in and why was he murdered. Clues abound, and investigators are stymied trying to put these clues together as with each suspect is interviewed, they end up at a standstill in the investigation. It takes another detective to start putting the clues together, except he is hoping to advance his career if he is successful with his investigation. I have read a few other books in Mr.McCann's Donaghue and Stainer Crime series and thoroughly enjoyed them. I think this new series, March and Walker Crime series is off to a great start in this first book. Well written, understandable and suspenseful. You can't go wrong reading this and Mr.McCann's other novels. - See more at: http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/#sthash.m7z4S4IB.dpuf